The expected well-being of urban refugees and asylum-seekers in Johannesburg

Talita Greyling

doi:10.17159/2222-3436/2016/v19n2a5

Abstract

The influx of asylum-seekers and refugees from across Africa into democratic South Africa has increased significantly. The aim of this paper is to determine the factors that influences the expect well-being of this unique group. Expected well-being is an important determinant of both the decision to migrate and the choice of a country of destination. Knowledge about this determinant therefore informs refugee policies. The results show that only a few of the factors found in the literature explaining the expected well-being of voluntary migrants also explain the expected well-being of forced migrants. However, a number of factors found in the literature that explain the subjective well-being and well-being in general of refugees and asylum-seekers also went towards explaining the expected well-being of this group. These factors include: government assistance, culture, the time spent in South Africa, economic factors, crime, refugee status, reasons for leaving the home countries and the number of people staying in a house in the receiving country. The findings of this study emphasise the differences between forced and voluntary migrants and highlight the factors that influence the expected well-being of forced migrants. These in turn shed light on migration decisions and the choice of destination countries.

Highlights

Since South Africa’s transition to democracy, the influx into the country of asylum-seekers from across Africa has increased almost tenfold
Factors that have been found in South Africa to influence the well-being of refugees and asylum-seekers were economic, cultural and religious affiliations, crime and the ability to access protection, and economic and social rights. Both the factors found to influence the expected well-being of voluntary migrants and those found to influence the well-being and subjective well-being of refugees and asylum-seekers, according to the literature, are included in the model to test the extent to which these factors explain the expected well-being of refugees and asylum-seekers in the inner city of Johannesburg
A likely reason for this result is that higher levels of education among refugees and asylum-seekers do not necessarily lead to improved well-being. This result partly accords with the findings of Czaika and Vothknecht (2012). Their results showed that lower levels of education do not explain the expected well-being of voluntary migrants, higher levels of education are statistically significant in explaining the expected well-being of forced migrants in the USA, which is a developed country

Summary

Introduction

Since South Africa’s transition to democracy, the influx into the country of asylum-seekers from across Africa has increased almost tenfold. The majority of the refugees and asylum-seekers who move to South Africa find refuge in the bigger cities like Johannesburg. One of the major determinants of refugees’ and asylum-seekers’ migration decision and choice of destination country, insofar as they have a choice, is that of expected well-being (Massey, Arango, Hugo, Kouaouci, Pellegrino & Taylor, 1993; Czaika, 2014; Spinks, 2013). An understanding of the factors that influence expected well-being will contribute to a better understanding of the well-being of refugees and asylum-seekers, but will lead to a better understanding of their decision to migrate as well as their choice of a destination country and region

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion